Thinking about your aged care options if you or your partner’s care needs increase?

Understanding your aged care options and putting a plan into place sooner than later will help you both remain comfortably at home for longer.

For couples growing old together, it’s natural to be concerned about how you will both manage at home as you age.

  • What happens if your partner or spouse becomes ill or needs to go to hospital?
  • What if they require respite care after their hospital stay?
  • What if their needs at home increase to a point where you struggle to provide the care they want?
  • How will you be able to continue looking after yourself comfortably at home if your spouse moves into residential care?

To maintain a good quality of life with years passing, and to remain comfortably at home together, it’s wise to have a plan in place for care. Our home care coordinators help our clients develop a home care plan which includes a blend of respite care and home care services.

Respite Care

If you’re caring for your spouse or partner, you may occasionally need a break, especially if their care needs are increasing. Occasional respite care will help you restore and recharge to maintain the energy you need to continue caring for your partner.

We have a wonderful example of how respite care helped one of our families who were concerned for their father living with dementia. Roger’s wife was struggling to care for him at home as his dementia was increasing. After a few weeks of respite care at St Louis on Sea, Roger was able to return home to live with his wife again. He participates in normal daily living and his wife is thrilled to have him back. Those few weeks of respite in a home where he was encouraged to participate in all aspects of daily living helped him immensely.

Home Care

Home care support plans provide a range of services to help you live comfortably at home for longer. Both individuals in a marriage or partnership can apply for a home care package separately, and each package can be customised to suit your specific care needs. For example, if one of you prefers more social activities and the other wants help with the garden, your home care packages will be created with services to meet those needs.

Home care helps couples live together for longer at home. John and Annemarie both have their own home care package and each one provides the help they want to remain at home for longer together, comfortably and safely.

Annemarie:
“I like doing things at home like gardening, sewing, and lots of cooking. I enjoy growing vegetables and I need help with this.
John:
“I have mobility issues but I keep as active as I can. I bought an exercise bike through my home care package and it helps me stay fit. I keep my mind active on computers, I like making videos. I have many old home movies that I enjoy making into stories that we can leave behind for our family.

The levels of home care packages available

Home care packages are available in four different levels depending on your care needs. The four levels are:

Level 1 - Basic care needs, approximately 2 hours per week

Level 2 - Low care needs – approximately 3-4 hours per week

Level 3 - Intermediate care needs – approximately 7-9 hours per week

Level 4 - High care needs – approximately 10-13 hours per week

The first step in getting a home care package is to arrange an ACAT Assessment. The ACAT Assessment is conducted by My Aged Care and during the interview, the assessor will determine the level of home care package best suited to you.

How you can use home care

A home care package includes a range of services that you can pick and choose from to create the ideal lifestyle you prefer at home. The services in your home care package are chosen and led by you, and delivered by our home care team. These services include things like:

  • Domestic chores - cleaning, laundry, gardening etc
  • Transport assistance to appointments
  • Personal care and hygiene – such as showering, and dressing
  • Shopping and social support
  • Meal preparation and cooking
  • Medical support – assistance with medication or more complex requirements
  • Respite – including overnight stays
  • Hospital to home support
  • Equipment and mobility aids and more.

A dedicated home care coordinator

St Louis’ home care coordinators are the main point of contact for your home care package. They get to know both of you as a couple, and they’ll develop a personalised support plan in partnership with both you. Your care plan is developed from your ACAT support plans.

If one or both of you has a home care package, they will create a home care support plan that helps you live the life you want at home. They will discuss services suited to your individual needs and your needs as a couple.

This may include overnight respite care if you need a break from caring for your partner from time to time. Or you might both like to get out and about more, meet new people and make some new friendships through our social programs.

Our Values in Aged Care - Dignity, Respect, Choice, Fairness

We’ve been caring for older South Australians since 1946 and during this time we’ve relied on our core values of Dignity, Respect, Choice, Fairness to adapt to the changing needs of our clients and to continue to deliver a high standard of care. Please read more about our values

Call St Louis to have a no obligation and confidential discussion about your aged care choices as a couple

Give us a call to have a chat about how we can help you both remain at home comfortably as you get older. St Louis Home Care Adelaide can be contacted on 8332 0950 or St Louis Home Care Victor Harbor on 8552 1481. With our help, you’ll find navigating the aged care system much easier and we’ll help you understand the range of options you have today.

Want to learn more?

Home Care partner needs change